Wireless communication networks are becoming increasingly common for interconnecting many types of electronic devices. Computer systems of all sizes, personal digital assistants, input/output devices, entertainment system components and other types of home appliances, are all examples of client station devices that are candidates for interconnection using a wireless communication network. Various specific wireless communication protocols have been developed. Examples of existing wireless communication protocols may be found in the family of standards for wireless Local Area Networks (LANs) known as IEEE 802.11, including the 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g wireless communication standards.
Generally, wireless networks include some number of access devices (referred to herein as “access points”) that provide network access to some number of wireless client devices (referred to herein as “stations”). For example, an access point in a wireless network may be connected to a wired communication network, and client stations using the wireless network are provided wireless access to the wired network through the access point.
Existing network management systems have significant shortcomings in how they visually represent access points and stations in a wireless network. Access points and stations may be shown as logical devices in a logical network map, without representation of the wireless network's physical environment. Graphical representations of access points and stations may be similar or identical, making it difficult for the user to quickly distinguish between these device types. Users accordingly find it difficult to distinguish between access points and stations within a wireless network. Similarly, when a network device is discovered within the network, the visual representation for that device may be initially displayed directly within a relatively complex logical network map, making it difficult for the user to visually locate the new device in the display. Moreover, after a device has been automatically discovered, the user cannot conveniently place the representation of that device within a representation of the wireless network's physical environment using existing systems.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a new system for representing access points and stations in a user interface showing a deployed wireless network. The new system should allow a user to conveniently identify access points and stations as they are automatically discovered, and to place representations of automatically discovered access points and stations at locations within a representation of the physical environment in which the wireless network is deployed.